You Raise Me Up {Mixed Media Art Journal} @ STAMPlorations

{My DT work for STAMPlorations}

Happy Sunday everyone and a warm welcome to my new blog-follower-cum-new-friends Sue Reynolds and Payal Soni. It's been raining almost every day which is good for my plants nevertheless except the weeds grow faster of course. Later today I will make time pulling weeds and give the plants some store bought healthy food. I've been too busy to make compose fertilizer these days, soon I hope.

Today is another continuation of Sunday Stencil at STAMPlorations. Click here and check out the gorgeous tags my fellow teammates created.

I created a tribute art journal page of my late old man and in this picture was of him in his younger days in the navy. Speaking of navy one can't escape from discipline and that had always been his number one rule in the house {oh yes!!!}.

Once again I use part of song lyric. The first time I heard this song some years ago, I fell in love with it. At the time my heart didn't absorb the real meaning of it; it was just a song I loved listening to. Not until after the creator took my father to the other world when I realized this song is so powerful that my heart ache because not only I miss my old man but more than that; his lecture, his fried rice, his crafts, his guidance and the list goes on.

 I gave these pages lots of texture simply by gluing down tissue paper for the first layer followed by random drywall tape and mesh. Then I swipe heavy gesso all over them and let dry but unfortunately the cool air from drizzling rain took a moment to dry quicker so while waiting I checked emails and browse the internet, rather than using heat gun. There's a reason why I refuse to use heat gun which I will explain later.

 While the gesso was drying, I used some texture paste and swipe over a stencil for more textural surface and pattern. I love this diamond looking shape! Click here for details.

More up-close pictures..

 

Love the texture above? This was how it was done:

I didn't use heat gun to dry the gesso because I didn't want the drywall tape and mesh to stick hard and permanently on the pages so I can easily remove some of them slowly to obtain patterns. Don't pull too fast or you may rip off the page a bit but remember that I have already adhered the pages with pieces and layers of tissue papers in the first place for thickness so there won't be a big hole should 'accident' happens. If if does, no worries, be happy, just fill it up with gesso or paste and you can just glue the next page to these pages when they are completely dried. I think in art and mixed media work, if accident happy accident happens, there's always a way to cover it up. What d'ya think?

Notice the over access texture paste on the right (above). I think that's because the paste was thickly applied or wasn't semi-dry when I remove the mesh but that's okay. No big deal, chill out {smile}. I don't throw them yet as they will be used in my next mixed media project. In other word - recycle save money!

The wheel marine is a famous item in my parent's house. It's a symbol any navy man must have I suppose and because it is so significance to the Royal Navy around the globe, my father bought me a gold wheel marine pendant with an anchor in the center when I was young and still have it in my keepsake. I tied this wheel marine charm using one long string pull out from the drywall tape. Thank you Kak Long Lili for the charm.

~Update on August 29, 2016~

My wonderful friend Margaret Kieser asked me at Facebook: Just one question as you did not mention it in your blog post - why the inch ruler next to the photo?

Thanks Margy for noticing my lack of analysis on my write up,lol. So my answer is: His measure tape was his best buddy when he did carpentry or anything that needed measure. He measured zillion times before he cut. Also to signify him as meticulous.

 Now, if you ask me why I use shades of green, black and white is because my father's Ford cars as far as I remember had always been green. His Ford Anglia in the 70's was dark green and when he bought Ford Cortina in the 80's, firstly it was in brown until he spray painted by himself to metallic green. I'm not to sure with his Mini Cooper though; got to ask my Mother later {chuckle}. The car he bought for her was Mazda in white and later he spray painted to dark red, something different though,lol. Oh I heard you ask why many cars? Dad loved cars and he's passed that down to my only son who loves cars as well. Then Dad's home and its surroundings were all in white {similar to Navy's uniforms}, then off white, and then white again with bits of brown and grey {the same grey like Navy's ship} and black gate. Later he painted our rooms light pink and the kitchen light blue leaving the rest inside and outside WHITE! He also planted lots of green plants; he loved greens more than planting flower plants unlike Mom who adores orchids so that's why they match! 

Now you know why my hubby didn't approve the colors I chose for our own house wall because he prefers white the way Dad did...oh man!! Firstly it was white for so many years and I got bored. I end up painting the interior wall in moonshadow grey and light cream {amongst other favorite colors of him}. The girls chose pink for their room because they didn't want it white (and I was okay when we started painting it hate it! I call their room a cave room!! Plan to change color but not white they said. On that later). So, the exterior wall color of our house is you guess right - WHITE! So you see, after growing up for so many years with my Father, it's so hard to change what he had inspired and motivated me. I sort of keep his love in me hence this art journal is created to show my love for him will never die.

 Having said that, I am taking this artwork into these challenges:
1. Rubber Dance

2. ArtGrupa : Challenge 6

 Meanwhile, the Mixed Media Challenge at STAMplorations is still running until 31st August so get your entries in here and display this graphic below in your post to stand a chance of winning great prize.

That's it for now. Until I see you soon. Thank you for dropping by.

Hugs and smiles,